How much does it cost to call back home?

With free wifi just about everywhere (and certainly in hostels, cafes and bars) most people these days make their voice calls and video calls back home through Facetime, Skype, Messenger or Whatsapp; all of which are of course free unless you are using your data allowance.

If you choose to go down the route of getting a New Zealand number be aware that at the time of writing none of the prepay options include any international calling allowance unless you are calling Australia. However, many of the other options – particularly the SIM deals which are aimed at those travelling in New Zealand – offer generous minutes allowance for calling overseas. There are also all kinds of add-ons to plans such as Skinny's 300 international minutes for NZ$10. You just have to designate which country the call is for.

The other option is to buy international calling cards which are sold in just about every small shop around. There are heaps of different kinds with wildly varying prices although most tend to have an expiration date and will charge a flat fee for connection. Be aware too that several charge different rates for the first minute to the minutes which follow. Some kinds are country-specific while others cover regions or whole continents.

As already mentioned rates can be anything from crazy cheap to expensive but just to give you an idea – one of the Cardcall's options rates are: 

NZ$0.0334 to UK landlines and USA

NZ$0.3335 to UK mobile